Lot 9. Large, Remarkable 1940s Exhibit Supply Co. of Chicago Boxing Card Vendor. If you were lucky enough to visit a carnival or amusement park in the era of exhibit cards, this marvelous mechanical masterpiece will evoke the odor of funnel cakes doused in grease and powdered sugar, or a vision of fluffy-pink cotton candy. You’ll want to dig into your pocket for 2 cents and plop them into the slots in hope of garnering a card of Sugar Ray Robinson, or maybe Billy Conn. This carnival-sized vendor, made of wood, stands 39 ½” tall. It’s almost 22” wide and about 13” deep. The front displays 12 1929-71 green-tint boxing cards, including Hall of Fame members Jimmy Bivins, Manuel Ortiz, Willie Pep and Fritzie Zivic. They are included. The face of the machine, which contains a bold, metal Exhibit Supply Co. logo, is unpainted. Evidence of multiple coats of paint on the other surfaces give the vendor so much character that it should qualify for a spot on the USA cable network. It shows about 6-7 decades of good use, but not abuse, and it still works. On either side of the front panel are two curved plastic decorative pieces. The machine is lighted from the inside, which can be reached by using the keys provided. This vendor is one big attention-grabber!
Winning Bid $862.
Lot 222. Original Broadside for the Leonard vs. Stafford Bout That Never Was. The framed 19” x 26” red, white and blue broadside pictures both boxers. It has a variety of horizontal creases, most of which are evident only close-up. Leonard and Stafford were to meet on May 14, 1982 at Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo. The fight had to be postponed, however, when doctors discovered that Leonard had suffered a detached retina in his fight with Thomas Hearns. In November 1982, Leonard announced his retirement, but later returned to the ring.
Winning Bid $50.
Lot 223. 1860 Heenan-Sayers Fight Artwork by Thomas Nast in the New-York Illustrated News. A caricaturist and editorial cartoonist considered to be the “Father of the American Cartoon,” Nast was only 19 when the news weekly sent him to England to depict what is generally regarded as the first “world championship” boxing match. The May 1860 edition of the Illustrated News contains two of his drawings. On the newspaper’s cover, he shows John C. Heenan of the U.S. and Thomas Sayers of England shaking hands before their historic April 17, 1860, bout. Inside, in a 14” x 20” spread, he captures the two bare-knuckle fighters looking for an opportunity to land a punch. The fight itself was controversial. Boxing was illegal then, and police ended the fight, in the absence of a clear winner, after 2 hours, 27 minutes and 42 rounds. Both men were bloodied and battered. The fight was declared a draw. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the fight and the 16-page newspaper, which is in remarkable strong condition. It was folded horizontally, and there is a crease on the front page. The two-page spread with Nast’s drawing is slightly smaller than the rest of the pages. Whether it was trimmed during production or later is unclear. The full image is present, and the two pages have an ex-m appearance. The pages could be matted and framed to show both of Nast’s drawings and a image of the artist himself, also depicted in the issue, and the engraver who created the woodcut, Andrew Anthony. Remarkable memento of one of the great events in boxing and sports history.
Winning Bid $110.
Lot 224. 5 Different 1893 N266 Lorillard Red Cross Tobacco Boxing Cards. These attractive cards show up infrequently, and very seldom in quantity. This group and Lot 225 make up almost half of the 25-card set. Each card illustrates a boxing move as part of a bout involving two boxers. The cards are Dawson-Needham g-vg, DeBaum-Campbell g-vg, Griffin-Lynch vg, McCoy-Reagan g-vg and Mitchell-LaBlanche g-vg. These cards all have clean backs.
Winning Bid $429.
Lot 225. 7 Different 1893 N266 Lorillard Red Cross Tobacco Boxing Cards. This group and Lot 224 make up almost half of the 25-card set. These attractive cards are very seldom offered in such quantities. Two boxers in this collection are noteworthy: Both Peter Jackson and Joe Choyinski are in the International Boxing Hall of Fame; moreover, Jackson is one of three black boxers in the set, and Choyinski apparently is the lone Jewish boxer. The cards are Chambers-Clark f-g, Choyinski-Goddard p-f, Frazer-Daly g, Hall-Pritchard p, Jackson-Slavin g, Kilrain-Smith g, and Murphy-Weir g. Except for Hall-Pritchard, all of the cards have clean backs; this card has been torn and is held together with a 1” x 1 ½” sticker on the back.
Winning Bid $321.
Lot 226. 1908 Ogden’s Pugilists & Wrestlers Set of 50 with 12 Hall of Fame Boxers. Colorful set with well executed color portraits on the front and descriptive backs. Hall of Fame members include #4 Burns ex+, 10 Mitchell g-vg, 13 Sullivan f-g, 22 McGovern g-vg, 24 Jeffries p-f, 28 Tom Sharkey g-vg, 34 Fitzsimmons g-vg, 37 Welsh vg+, 38 Driscoll vg-ex, 41 Attell vg-ex, 44 Moran vg and 50 Gans vg-ex. Cards not graded above are Ex-m+: 1 card. Ex+: 1. Ex: 5. Vg-ex: 16. Vg: 11. G-vg: 1. G: 1. F-g: 1. P: 1. The early 1900s British sets are much scarcer than sets from the 1930s and later.
Winning Bid $148.
Lot 227. Rare 1910 Thum Movie of the Jack Johnson-James Jeffries Fight. Thumb through the 40 photos in this 1 ½” x 2 ½” booklet, and you’ll see Jeffries hit the canvas in a July 4 bout in Reno in which Johnson retained the world heavyweight championship. Jeffries had retired six years earlier, but was coaxed out of retirement by author Jack London and others to face Johnson, who knocked him out in the 15th round. Peerless Trick & Novelty Co. of Chicago produced the movie booklet. The covers are heavily worn but intact. The photo pages are vg+.
Winning Bid $148.
Lot 228. 1911 T9 Turkey Red Card #64 – Hall of Fame Middleweight Billy Papke. Attractive g+ to vg card with light creases visible only close-up in the center at the top and bottom, a small amount of paper loss in the upper left corner, a light scratch on the bottom one-third and the owner’s rubber stamp on the back, which otherwise is clean. Strong, colorful image of Papke, who took the middleweight crown from Stanley Ketchel in 1908 in one of boxing’s bloodiest brawls; he lost the title to Ketchel later in the year.
Minimum Bid $100.
Lot 229. 1920s Stamp Transfers Near Set Depicting the Dempsey-Tunney “Long Count” Fight. In a 1926 bout, Gene Tunney captured the heavyweight title with a decision over Jack Dempsey. In their rematch a year later in Chicago, Dempsey knocked Tunney down in the seventh round. Under Illinois boxing rules, Dempsey needed to go to a neutral corner before the referee’s began the count. Instead, he went to Tunney’s corner. By the time the referee got Dempsey to a neutral corner, at least four seconds had passed. Tunney got up on the count of nine, or at least 13 seconds after the knockdown, and went on to win the fight. The transfers feature drawings portraying scenes of the fight. One block of eight stamps is present, as well as two strips of four stamps each, for a total of 16. There are 20 stamps in the set. Each strip of four is nm. The block of eight has two pin holes with minor creasing near them and moderate separations at two of the perforations; otherwise nm. Colorful and uncommon.
Winning Bid $138.
Lot 230. 178 (Or Maybe 220) Different Boxing Exhibits, Almost All Green Tints, 1929-71. Like beauty, differences are in the eye of the beholder. A pair of eyes spotted enough differences to create this group of 220 exhibit cards - without duplicates. About 40 cards are “different” because of color variations, which occur frequently in Exhibit Supply Company issues. In some cases, the ink tones are very close; in others, they vary widely. More objective is the fact that the group includes 178 cards that are clearly different, color variations aside. In fact, 175 are listed in the checklist of the 2008-09 edition of Adam S. Warshaw’s America’s Great Boxing Cards. Two others appear to be possible additions to the checklist, K. O. Christner, Garrett, PA, and an alternate pose of Lou Salica; both a front and a side view are present. In addition, Louis Firpo is represented by a 1925-29 blue tint card with a postcard back. Seventy-one cards feature members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The complete list: Al Andrews (2), Paul Andrews (2), Angott (HoF) vg+ to ex, Apostoli (HoF) ex, Arizmendi (Tampico, Mexico), Harry Armstrong, Henry Armstrong (HoF, 3, one with “California,” color variations without) all vg-ex, Buddy Baer (3, two poses) , Max Baer (HoF, “California”) vg, Baksi (vertical), Basilio (HoF) ex+, Bassett (2), Bath, Beckwith (2), with and without “Chicago”), Mike Belloise (2), Steve Belloise, Bettina, Bivins (HoF) ex+, Braddock (HoF, 2) one (writing on the back; otherwise) vg-ex, one vg, Bratton, Brion, Brouillard (HoF) (writing on the back; otherwise) vg+, Burman, Burton, Calhoun, Canzoneri (HoF) ex, Cardell (2), Jimmy Carter (HoF, 2) both ex+, Castellani (2), Castillo, Cerdan (HoF) vg-ex, Charles (HoF, 2) one ex-m, one g-vg, Christner, Christoforidas, Coates, Cockell, Comiskey, Conn (HoF, 2 poses) both vg-ex, Constance, Costner, Crawford, Cruz, Dade, D’Agata, Damo, Davey, Ted Davis, Dawson, Day, Paddy DeMarco (2), Tony DeMarco (2), Docusen, Dower, Dykes, Elorde (HoF) vg-ex, Escobar (HoF) ex, Farr, Felton, Firpo (postcard back, b&w), Vince Foster, Fox (2, as “Billy” and “Slug (Fox Combo) Phila.”), Foxworth, Fullmer (HoF) ex, Fusari, Galento (3), Garcia (2), Gavilan (HoF, 2) one ex+, one ex, Godoy (full), Gonsalves (2), Graham (HoF) ex-m, Graziano (HoF, 2) one ex, one g-vg, Green, Hairston, Henry, Hostak (2 poses), Jack (HoF) vg-ex, Jackson, Janiro, Jenkins (HoF) (pin hole otherwise) vg+, Harold Johnson (HoF, 2) one nm, one ex, Tiger Jones (2) one ex-m+, one ex+, Knox, LaMotta (HoF, 2) one vg, one g, Larkin (2, “Tippy” and “Slug”), Lasky, LaStarza, Lesnevich, Levinsky (HoF, “Chicago”) f, Lewis (LA), Joe Louis (HoF, 3, front and side poses) one ex, one vg-ex, one vg, Marciano (HoF, 2) one ex, one vg-ex, Martinez (2), Matthews, Maxim (HoF) vg-ex, McLarnin, Freddie Miller (HoF, 2, “Cincinnati”) one ex+, one (writing on the back; otherwise) vg-ex, Mills, Mims, Monaghan, Montana, Montanez (HoF) vg-ex, Montgomery (HoF, “Philadelphia”) vg-ex, Moore (HoF, 2) one vg-ex, one vg, Murphy (2), Musto, Nardico, Nestell (2), Norkus, Nova (2, closer view), Olin (New York), Olson (HoF) ex-m+, Manuel Ortiz (HoF, “Los Angeles”) vg-ex, Pastor (2), Pastrano (HoF) ex+, Patterson (HoF 2, hitting bag) one ex-m+ and one vg-ex, Pellone, Pirrone, Raadik, Rawlings, Ray, Riley, Roach (2), Ray Robinson (HoF, 3, two poses) one vg+ to ex, two vg-ex, Rodak, Rosenbloom (HoF) (writing on the back; otherwise) vg, Ross (HoF, “Chicago”) (writing on the back otherwise) vg-ex, Ryff (2), Saddler (HoF, 2) one ex+ and one vg-ex, Salas, Salica (2 poses), Sarron, Satterfield, Saxton (2), Scalzo, Shirai, Simon, Soose (2, with and without “Pennsylvania”), Speiser, Steele (HoF) (writing on the back; otherwise) vg-ex, Stuhley, Sykes (2), Tandberg, Terranova (New York), Thomas (2), Toles (2), Geo. Turner, Gil Turner (2), Turpin (HoF) ex, Valdes (2), Vejar, Villemain, Walcott (HoF, 3, two poses, one with “Slug”) one vg-ex, one vg+, one vg, Webb, Ike Williams (HoF, 3, two horiz., one “Ike” and one “Slug,” and one vert.) one vg-ex, two vg, Wolgast (HoF) (writing on the back; otherwise) vg, Woodcock, Tommy Yaroz, Terry Young, Zale (HoF) g-vg, Zivic (HoF, 2, “American” and “Pittsburgh”) one (writing on the back; otherwise) vg-ex and one vg, and Zurrita. Cards not graded above are Ex-m+: 4 cards. Ex-m: 9. Ex+: 13. Ex: 18. Vg-ex: 43. Vg: 32. G-vg: 3. G: 4. F-g: 1. F: 15. P-f: 5. P: 3. Impressive collection.
Winning Bid $578.
Lot 231. 1938 Churchman Boxing Personalities Set of 50 with Joe Louis Graded PSA NM 7. The Louis card is #26. Other stars of the set are #6 Braddock vg+ to ex, 8 Carpentier vg+, 12 Dempsey ex, 20 Jack Johnson vg-ex, 34 Schmeling vg+ and 35 Tunney ex. With the exception of five cards that are vg, the balance of the set is approximately 50% ex and 50% vg-ex. We’ll start the bidding at the PSA SMR price for the Joe Louis card.
Winning Bid $100.
Lot 232. 1948 Boxing Partial Set of 25 – Sullivan PSA-Graded VG 3, and Jeffries, Corbett, Etc. These 25 cards are one-half of the set: #2 Angott ex-m, 3 Leonard (HoF) vg-ex, 7 Walker (HoF) ex+, 9 Jeffries (HoF) ex, 13 Beau Jack vg, 15 Zale (HoF) vg, 18 Fields vg, 19 Kid Chocolate vg, 20 Greb g-vg, 24 Mandell vg, 27 Loughran ex, 35 Armstrong (HoF) ex+, 51 Pep (HoF) vg+ to ex, 55 Corbett (HoF) vg-ex, 58 Ross vg, 60 Lesnevich vg+ to ex, 63 Fitzsimmons (HoF) vg, 65 Hostak vg-ex, 69 Willard (HoF) vg, 77 Canzoneri ex-m, 80 Garcia vg-ex, 88 Ambers vg, 93 Baer (HoF) f-g, 98 Forbes vg-ex and 101 Sullivan (HoF) PSA VG 3.
Winning Bid $121.
Lot 233. 1951 Topps Ringside Boxing Near Set – 91 of 96 Cards. Among the Hall of Fame members present are #2 Armstrong g-vg, 3 LaMotta vg+, 5 Cerdan nm, 6 Walcott nm, 11 Baer ex, 12 Conn ex, 24 Braddock ex-m, 30 Zale ex, 31 Walcott vg, 34 Robinson vs. Servo vg, 39 Leonard vg-ex, 51 Willard ex+, 54 Jeffries ex+, 55 Fitzsimmons vg, 56 Gans g-vg, 59 Corbett vg-ex, 69 Sullivan ex+, 72 Ketchel ex+, 73 Gavilan vg-ex, 74 Graham ex-m+, 78 Zivic vg-ex, 85 Walcott vs. Charles ex, 95 Tunney vg+ and 96 Charles ex. Also, a boxing single print, #89 Chavez vg, and wrestler Antonino Rocca, #53 vg. The missing cards are #1, 32 Marciano, 43 Robinson, 49 Murphy and 88 Louis. Cards not graded above are: Nm-m: 1 card. Nm+: 2. Nm: 3. Ex-m+: 3. Ex-m: 9. Ex+: 6. Ex: 6. Vg-ex: 11. Vg: 14. G-vg: 3. G: 7.
Winning Bid $291.
Lot 234. 2 Scarce Pins from the 1957 Floyd Patterson-Tommy Hurricane Jackson Fight. Jackson challenged Patterson for the heavyweight title on July 29 at the Polo Grounds, and lost. Patterson scored a TKO in his first successful defense of the championship. Eight months earlier, he had earned the crown by knocking out Archie Moore. Each pin is 1 ¾” in diameter and ex. They were produced by the Empress Specialty Co. of New York.
Winning Bid $138.
